It's Monday! What Are You Reading? April 26, 2021 #IMWAYR

      

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's an opportunity to visit other blogs and to comment on their reads. And ... you can add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are! 

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I had a great birthday this past week and feel like I'm still celebrating! I had lunch yesterday with two of my good friends and will be having lunch with another one today. It is so good to be with people again. I am leaving Thursday to go out of state to my niece's wedding. I'm a little scared and a lot excited!

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you all have a good week. 

Happy reading!

What I'm currently reading

The Woman with the Blue Star

by Pam Jenoff

Pub date 5/4

Devoted in Death

(In Death #41)

by J.D. Robb

Narrated by Susan Ericksen 

What I recently finished

When I Last Saw You

by Bette Lee Crosby

Pub date 5/4

Margreete's Harbor

by Eleanor Morse

Read my thoughts here

Water for Elephants

by Sara Gruen

Narrated by David LeDoux & John Randolph Jones

What I am going to read next

Seven Perfect Things

by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Pub date 5/4

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

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Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!

       

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? April 19, 2021 #IMWAYR

     

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's an opportunity to visit other blogs and to comment on their reads. And ... you can add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are! 

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This is my birthday week, Thursday marks the day! One of my daughters is coming for a visit that day. We've seen her off and on this past year but have not gone into each other's homes and haven't had hugs. We are both fully vaccinated now and I can't wait to have her here! I'm thinking it will be the  'hug that never ends'. 💖🤗

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you all have a good week. 

Happy reading!

What I'm currently reading

Margreete's Harbor

by Eleanor Morse

Pub date 4/20

Water for Elephants

by Sara Gruen

Narrated by David LeDoux & John Randolph Jones

What I recently finished

The Kew Gardens Girls

by Posy Lovell

Pub date 4/20

Of Kindness and Kilowatts

(Nothing is Promised Book 3)

by Susan Kaye Quinn

Read my thoughts here

The Good Sister

by Sally Hepworth

Read my thoughts here

What I am going to read next

When I Last Saw You

by Bette Lee Crosby

Pub date 5/4

I love Bette's stories!

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

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Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!

       

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? April 12, 2021 #IMWAYR

    

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's an opportunity to visit other blogs and to comment on their reads. And ... you can add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are! 

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As this post goes live, Hubs and I are taking off on a short road trip. We are heading out to visit his mother, who lives about 4 hours away. She'll be turning 90 next month (!) and we haven't seen her in person since Christmas a year ago, so about 16 months. We are all fully vaccinated or this wouldn't be happening. We tried the whole virtual visiting thing but it just didn't work very well for her. She lives in an assisted-living place so a lot of precautions will be in place. 

We were also able to go and watch our granddaughter play volleyball on Saturday. It was nice to get out and to finally see her play. We are still careful but it was wonderful to be doing somewhat 'normal' things again.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you all have a good week. 

Happy reading!

What I'm currently reading

The Good Sister

by Sally Hepworth

Pub date April 13

Water for Elephants

by Sara Gruen

Narrated by David LeDoux & John Randolph Jones

What I recently finished

Six Weeks to Live

by Catherine McKenzie

Pub date 5/4

Devoured this one!

Straight from the Hart

by Tracie Banister

Pub date TODAY!!

My thoughts will be posted later.

The Seadog

(Paines Creek Beach #3)

by Aaron Paul Lazar

Narrated by Gwendolyn Druyor

What I am going to read next

Margreete's Harbor

by Eleanor Morse

Pub date 4/20

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

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Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!

       

Book Spotlight Giveaway! Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

This week, I have a Kindle copy of Water for Elephants that I snagged when it was on sale. I've been saving it for just the right time. I loved this book and I loved the movie. I am so excited to share this with one of you.  

Good luck and be sure to stop back next week!

Water for Elephants

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Kindle Edition, 369 pages

Published May 1st 2007 by Algonquin Books

Though he may not speak of them, the memories still dwell inside Jacob Jankowski's ninety-something-year-old mind. Memories of himself as a young man, tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Memories of a world filled with freaks and clowns, with wonder and pain and anger and passion; a world with its own narrow, irrational rules, its own way of life, and its own way of death. The world of the circus: to Jacob it was both salvation and a living hell.

Jacob was there because his luck had run out—orphaned and penniless, he had no direction until he landed on this locomotive "ship of fools." It was the early part of the Great Depression, and everyone in this third-rate circus was lucky to have any job at all. Marlena, the star of the equestrian act, was there because she fell in love with the wrong man, a handsome circus boss with a wide mean streak. And Rosie the elephant was there because she was the great gray hope, the new act that was going to be the salvation of the circus; the only problem was, Rosie didn't have an act—in fact, she couldn't even follow instructions. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and ultimately, it was their only hope for survival. 

Surprising, poignant, and funny, Water for Elephants is that rare novel with a story so engrossing, one is reluctant to put it down; with characters so engaging, they continue to live long after the last page has been turned; with a world built of wonder, a world so real, one starts to breathe its air.

About the author

Sara Gruen is the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of At the Water’s Edge, Water for Elephants, Ape House, Riding Lessons, and Flying Changes. Her works have been translated into forty-three languages, and have sold more than ten million copies worldwide. Water for Elephants was adapted into a major motion picture starring Reese Witherspoon, Rob Pattinson, and Christoph Waltz in 2011.

She lives in Western North Carolina with her husband and three sons, along with their dogs, cats, horses, birds, and the world’s fussiest goat.

Connect with Sara

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

This is for a Kindle copy of Water for Elephants gifted from Amazon. So if you can redeem that, consider this giveaway international!

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Book Spotlight Giveaway! Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

I have sooooo many books! I have a ton of print books and probably even more e-books. The Book Spotlight feature that I post every Saturday is a way for me to clear my shelves and to share some of the books I have. There are a lot of different reasons that I might be letting some of my books go, the biggest one is that when we moved I discovered just how many books I really do have. This feature is a way for my to cull my collection and to give someone else the opportunity to enjoy them.

This week, I have the CD audio book of Water for Elephants that I am giving away. I read this book and also saw the movie. I loved them both! I was able to snag ttitle through Audible so I'll let someone enjoy my CD version of this wonderful book. Have you read it or seen the movie?

Good luck and be sure to stop back next week!

Water for Elephants

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Audio CD, Unabridged, 12 discs
Published May 24th 2006 by Highbridge Audio

Nonagenarian Jacob Jankowski reflects back on his wild and wondrous days with a circus. It’s the Depression Era and Jacob, finding himself parentless and penniless, joins the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. There he meets the freaks, grifters, and misfits that populate this world. He introduces us to Marlena, beautiful star of the equestrian act; to August, her charismatic but twisted husband (and the circus’s animal trainer); and to Rosie, the seemingly untrainable elephant Jacob cares for.

Beautifully written, with a luminous sense of time and place, Water for Elephants tells of love in a world in which love’s a luxury few can afford.

About the author

Sara Gruen is the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Water for Elephants, Ape House, Riding Lessons, and Flying Changes. Her works have been translated into forty-three languages, and have sold more than ten million copies worldwide. Water for Elephants was adapted into a major motion picture starring Reese Witherspoon, Rob Pattinson, and Christoph Waltz in 2011.

She lives in Western North Carolina with her husband and three sons, along with their dogs, cats, horses, birds, and the world’s fussiest goat.

Connect with Sara

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!